Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-12-17
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

exhibition of boomerang throwing a,
Munster. The instruments used were
OF two sizes, the larger being a slen-
der crescent about two feet long, two
and a quarter inches wide, and a
quarter of an inch thick, made of an
extraordinarily heavy IRON wood. This
boomerang was jerked up into the air
about 100 feet, when it flew straight
away, then turned to the left, and re-
turned in curved line back to the
thrower. whrling around constantly
and whizzing unpleasantly. One
badly directed projectile fell through
a spectators hat with a cut as clean
as that of a razor. A Weimar manu-
facturer, who has made some 1000
toy boomerangs, believes that the
mystery of the shape lies in sharper
curvature in the middle, with unequal
length of the two arms, which must
be made of equal weight by unequal
thickness. The popularity of motion
is due to the difference in the length
of the arms, which DIVORCES the curve
of rotation from the circular.
How SHALL WE SLEEp?-Whether
one position in sleep is better than
another may be an important ques-
ton, but it does not seem to have
been authoritatively settled that any
particular position is the best to ad-
opt. Sleeping on the right side is
more common than on the left, and
sleeping on the back is comparatively
rare. Evidence has been found to
show that sleeping on the left side
favors bronchitis, and sleeping on the
right side appears to increase a ten
dency to constipation. 1t has been
strongly urged that health and longev-
ity are best secured by lowering the
head and raising the feet in sleep,
though some nervous affections re-
quire partially erect posture.
THE DYsPEpTIc's IDEAL.-A med
ical man mentions that, like his father
and paternal grandfather, he has al
ways had the power of voluntarily
ejecting food or fluid from the stom-
ach at any time. When troubled with
acidity or nausea, the stomach is
emptied at will without the slightest
difficulty, and may be washed out
with several glasses of water. AT
college this faculty was used for gain,
large doses of narcotic poisons being
swallowed for wagers, and afterward
immediatel y expelled. An investiga-
ton is suggested to determine the
cause Of this gift, or what voluntary
muscles account for it.
WHAT IS A DRoUTH?-Mr. Sym
mons, the English meteorologist,
would have three kinds or degrees OF
drouth recognized and precisely de,
fined. A period of IA or more con,
secutive days without rain should be
termed an absolute drouth; one Of e
or more consecutive days with a rain,
fall not exceeding a quarter of an
inch should be called partial drouth
and at least 60 days with not over
two inches of rain should be a long
drouth.
HEALTHFULNESs OF SoILs.-Ex
tended observations at Paris and a
Munich indicate that the sanitary con
dition of locality depends on thu
amount of water contained in thu
ground. The years when there ha
been a large quantity of ground
water have invariably been the health
lest years, while those in which Their
has been a smaller quantity have in
variably been the unhealtkiest periods
The old idea that sufferers fror
heart disease should avoid physics
exertion has been dispelled by Pro
fessor Oertel, who has successful
employed regulated exercise in tn
treatment of some forms. In a larg
proportion of cases the nutrition {
the cardiac muscle, as of the musculs
system generally, is thus improved.
PROFESSOR w. RAMSAY suggest
that color-b blindness is probably
defect of the brain instead Of the ey
1t is analogous to the dizziness whic
prevents a person from distinguishin
an octave's difference between tw
musical notes though both notes al
: heard, there being no deafness.